What Book Are You Reading?

[Lantern A-train Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Lantern A-train]

Very good. I expect many peekchures of de nice frencheh mens.

On a totally unrelated note, I would never go to New York unless I was drugged and subdued by 5 large men in black. That's like a multiple coronary/anxiety/stressed out/ panic attack waiting to happen. Seriously, pretty much the only way you could get me to even cross the border would be if Arnold was holding my hand while having one of those kiddie leashes attached to me after I've doubled up on my meds. Country boy,tractors and all.

deal

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

I don't think Amazon/Kindle recognizes that it's officially June 14, 2016 right now.

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

They made me wait until 12:59 am EST.

Made me wait.

THEY MADE
DOOM
WAIT.

DOOM DOES NOT "WAIT."

The best squadron of my Doombots are on their way to the Amazon head office to show them the errors of their ways.

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

MEG: Nightstalkers (2016)

So, I finished this novel this morning around 5 a.m. because I was so close to the end that I couldn't go one more night of waiting. (I don't wait very well.). I think it is a fair statement (and certainly my opinion) that author Steve Alten raised the bar significantly for the marine horror literature in a way not seen since Peter Benchley wrote that silly little shark story back in 1974. MEG was bigger, meaner, and through five books thus far, intricately woven in with the Taylor family's lives. Due to setting the bar high, I naturally had high expectations for this book.

Unfortunately, I can only say I was about 75% satisfied, and here are the reasons why:

1. Although this series is mainly about a Megalodon family, Alten introduced different species towards the end of the last novel (Hell's Aquarium) that basically took over the whole Nightstalkers novel. I'm totally down with big monster fights, and yes, there were good shark scenes, but Alten sort of forgot the whole reason fans like myself got into this in the first place: Megalodon. There just wasn't enough of Bela and Lizzy, the current Megalodon sisters, who behave more like a pod of orcas than like Great Whites. Nightstalkers was waning in this regard.

2. Most of the book had to do with an obsessive Prince capturing a Liopleurodon. That's all well and good, but again, need more shark.

3. Alten has a great track record of not only giving the reader plenty of marine terror, but also making the human characters as important as the Sharks. So, I needed more of th Taylor family. I felt like they were just making guest appearances in this book.

4. Last year, Alten released a novel titled Vostok, whose main character Dr. Wallace, is a fairly important character in this novel. Wallace originated from a completely different series about the Loch Ness Monster, then Vostok brought the two series together. Sadly, Vostok was probably the worst Alten novel I ever read, so using that as a tie in didn't do Nightstalkers much justice, but at least Nightstalkers left out/didn't acknowledge the worst aspects of Vostok, which was sci fi gone really bad.

5. I was under the impression that this novel would be the last in the MEG series, which I was actually happy about. Alten takes a very long time between the sequels, and I think he loses hardcore followers like myself in waiting years between each entry. Well, lo and behold, he concludes this novel with yet another teaser for a future sequel titled MEG: Generations. I could be dead before that comes out. Seriously. Steve, please forget all the other stuff and concentrate on what makes you great- the Megalodons!

So, those are my critiques. Nightstalkers is still a great book in the fact that it retains a great writing style and enough action to keep you interested. There are very few authors out there who can keep you in suspense to such a high degree as Alten does that this novel will still be at the top of my 2016 favorite reads list, regardless of what the rest of the year brings (but as always, I will keep branching out and giving each new book I buy a fair chance).

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

Looks like I don't need to hurry up with buying my own copy, then. Thanks for the review.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Leonard by William Shatner (2016)

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

Looks like I don't need to hurry up with buying my own copy, then. Thanks for the review.

2 things you have to keep in mind- you haven't read Hell's Aquarium yet, which is far superior to Nightstalkers, and I'm also being intentionally harsh on Alten because I am truly vested in the series.

Nightstalkers isn't bad per se; it's just convoluted with all these different species emerging, and various human agendas. It's still a good read, though, and is critical to the overall picture of the series. Hopefully, the next novel will get back to basics and return to a former glory of story telling that Nightstalkers almost misses. Almost.

I've read a good number of reviews on this novel on Amazon; most people are giving it the five star treatment, so that should also tell you something depending on how much stock you put into reviews.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes

[Lantern A-train Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Lantern A-train]

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Thomas Watson's The Godly Man's Picture


============================================

To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu


I wanted to read something that would count for the 2016 challenge, but also be short enough that I know I can finish it before my vacation trips in July and August (when I'll read Kindle books). Shatner's book put me in the behind-the-scenes Trek mood.

So far, I'm still in his internment years. Pretty interesting stuff. This autobiography was written in 1994, well before he came out, so I'm curious what, if anything, he'll say about his private life.

EDIT: finished (but reported in Star Trek thread)

[Hypo Lil' Leaguer Find all posts View Profile Close Hypo]

Finished:

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Route 1 Maine by Virginia M. Wright




Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books



One of the challenge books (a book made into a movie this year). It includes a lot of non-Mowgli, animal-based children's stories Kipling did. I like the Mowlgi ones better. Of the others, I liked the mongoose tale the most.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

The Autobiography of James T. Kirk (by David A. Goodman)


Death Squad (Book 2 of The Executioner series) by Don Pendleton


^By the way, I recommend this series (which was the inspiration for Punisher--it's obvious even if I hadn't known that going in) to fans of stories about vigilantes, snipers, or Vietnam vets.


What Would Captain Kirk Do? by Brandon Snider

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne

I really wish J.K. Rowling would write a novel based on this one. I've read scripts before, and enjoyed them, but I can't help but feel it would be jarring to read the continuation of a novel series in script format.